


Candy Coated

by the_eye_prophet



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Halloween, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 14:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14750460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_eye_prophet/pseuds/the_eye_prophet
Summary: Halloween is the best time of the year for Jongin. He loves the costumes and the candy and the pumpkins. He also loves his desk mate, who just so happens to be wearing a pumpkin costume this year.





	Candy Coated

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is years old lmao but it's cute. Just kinda posting all my stuff on here now.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo blinks three times when Jongin asks if he has a pencil. He counts.

  
One. Two. Three. The prettiest eyes. And wow he has nice lips. And also the way his nose curves and-

  
"Jongin?"

  
His heart skips a beat and Kyungsoo is looking at him, questioning.

  
"Is a mechanical one alright?" he asks, and Jongin wants to die. He should have been listening. He nods and Kyungsoo smiles. Perfect smile, too.

  
"Yeah, that's cool," Jongin says, and he tries to contain himself as Kyungsoo leans over to pull a pencil from his backpack, hands it to Jongin. He takes it, careful, and thinks about purposefully touching his class partner's hand when he takes it. But he doesn't have the guts for that. Kyungsoo turns away and opens his notebook. Jongin feels like his heart is floating away because Kyungsoo is chewing on his lip and flipping through a few pages, looking over notes from the previous day.

  
Wait.

  
"Do we have a test today?" Jongin asks, and Kyungsoo looks at him and nods slowly. "Yeah," he says, and Jongin's mouth hangs open for a second before he snaps it back shut.

  
"Oh, that's cool." Crap, didn't he just say something like that? He can't have Kyungsoo thinking he's dumb.

  
He didn't study for that test though. He goes to get out his own notes, but he stops. Maybe he could...

  
"Hey, Kyungsoo, I forgot my notes. Can I look over yours with you?" he asks, and his mouth gets kind of dry but otherwise he's doing pretty good. Kyungsoo smiles at him, a little hesitant, but then he slides his notebook to the center of their table and scoots his chair just a little bit closer. Jongin almost has a heart attack when their legs brush and their knees bump and gee Kyungsoo smells really nice for a teenage boy and-

  
"You don't mind if we share do you?" he asks, and Jongin shakes his head a little too quickly.

  
"No, that's coo-"

  
"Hey, Jonginnie-Poo!"

  
A hand connects with the back of Jongin's head and smacks him forward. He takes it with stride and tries not to yelp too loud. He does, though, and it's a little high pitched screech that makes Kyungsoo snicker behind his hand. Jongin blushes hard.

  
Oh fucking Sehun.

  
"Sehun, what the fu...dge..." he says, and glances at their teacher who just walked in the classroom. Only a minute until the bell rings. He can still woo Kyungsoo. If Sehun will leave him alone.

  
But that's not going to happen.

  
"I have awesome news," he says, and Jongin wants to care but can't manage it.

  
  
"What awesome news?" he asks his best friend anyway, and Kyungsoo takes his notebook back to look over his notes again. Jongin's heart sinks, but Kyungsoo doesn't move his chair away. Their knees are still touching. It could be worse.

  
Sehun smirks and looks at Jongin and Kyungsoo's connected knees. His smirk goes to creepy grin and suggestively raised eyebrows in a split second, and Jongin can feel it coming. He rolls his eyes and waits for Sehun's dumb ass comment because it is inevitable. Always is.

  
Sehun doesn't tell him any news. He just says, "I'll tell you later." And then he leans forward to tap Kyungsoo on the shoulder. But then Jongin realizes that maybe he doesn't want Sehun making comments towards Kyungsoo, and maybe whatever Sehun has to say will just end up embarrassing him and insulting someone. Jongin dives for his outstretched fingers, but to no avail. Kyungsoo is turning around already.

  
"Hi, Kyungsoo," Sehun says slyly, and Jongin groans. Kyungsoo smiles awkwardly and opens his eyes wide in confusion.

  
"Hi, Sehun."

  
Sehun smirks again, glances down at the knee situation and looks back up. Kyungsoo quickly jerks his knee to himself. "Doesn't Jongin look nice today?" he asks, and Kyungsoo's eyes get even wider. He looks to Jongin and then back at Sehun, his mouth slightly open. "Um...he....aahhhh..."

  
"Yeah. I think so too, Kyungsoo. You look nice, too. I like your uh..." Sehun glances down Kyungsoo's attire and comes up short. He's dressed in a simple sweater and jeans, with a pair of plain black tennis shoes. Sehun smiles. "Hair. I like your hair." Jongin rolls his eyes again. "Jongin, don't you like Kyungsoo's hair?"

  
Kyungsoo still looks utterly horrified by the compliments, but he looks at Jongin nonetheless. Jongin freezes. He does like Kyungsoo's hair. And he likes his face and his sweater, and his jeans. And he likes how Kyungsoo looks in those things. Even his face. He likes how Kyungsoo looks in his face.

  
Wait...

  
"Yeah, I do," he says, and Jongin isn't sure but he thinks Kyungsoo might be turning a little pink in the cheeks. Maybe. "I think you look really great." He tries to look Kyungsoo in the eyes without turning into The Human Torch, and it works just a little bit. Kyungsoo smiles and looks away.

  
"Thanks, Jongin," he says.

  
"You're welcome."

  
"What? I don't get a thanks or an endearing smile?"

  
"Shut the fuck up, Sehun."

  
The teacher glares in their direction.

\---

  
"OK. What is the good news?" Jongin asks, and Sehun opens the fridge to pull out two bottles of water and some celery sticks. Jongin takes one and crunches down. Sehun grimaces and eats one as well, probably cursing his mother for her insistent purchase of healthy snacks.

  
"Oh yeah. Good news. Really good news." He says this with a mouth full of celery, and then he glances around to make sure his mother isn't spying on him in a corner. Jongin can hear the sound of typing from down the hall, and they know she can't hear them from all the way in her office. "My parents are going out of town for Halloween and entrusting me with the house," he says proudly, and Jongin grins.

  
"So..."

  
"So that means this year, we're having a real Halloween party." Sehun snaps a piece of celery and offers Jongin another one.

  
In the past, Sehun has tried to throw parties for the spooky holiday in his room. A few friends and a few classmates, but they always result in his mother poking her head in the door and saying, "Keep it down in here, boys. Sehun, your father has a migraine," or "Do you kids want some snacks?". Then she closes the door after Sehun whines for her to stop, and Jongin can always hear her cackling from down the hallway.

  
"So your mom won't be here to-"

  
"Torture me. Exactly. Or you know, cockblock me and stuff," Sehun says, and Jongin throws his head back and laughs.

  
"Cockblock you?" he yells, and Sehun shushes him. The typing down the hallway stops for a second and then starts back up again. "Sorry. Cockblock you? You can't block a weapon you aren't wielding," Jongin whispers, and he's laughing so hard he can't breathe. Plus, that was a genius metaphor.

  
Sehun gives him a look. "Shut up, Jongin. You aren't exactly seeing battle either." Jongin shuts up. "Besides, Luhan hyung is totally going to cave this year. I can feel it." He nods definitively and then Jongin is laughing again. Sehun promptly tells him to fuck off and die.

  
"And what makes you think he's going to fall for you this year in particular?" Jongin asks, and he's still kind of chuckling. Sehun straightens his posture.

  
"Oh, he's already fallen for me," Sehun says, and Jongin laughs but he knows it could be true. "I just mean that this year is the year that I make my big move."

  
"Oh." Jongin nods. "What are you gonna do? Pull him into the bathroom and drop your pants and hope he's impressed?"

  
Sehun gives him another look. "No! That is not my plan!" Jongin claps with mirth.

  
"Good, because I don't think it would work too good." The comment earns him a well deserved smack to the ear. Jongin cups his face and tries not to laugh anymore. "Seriously, though. What  _is_  your plan?"

  
Sehun leans on the counter and smirks. "I'm going to ask him to come to the party. And then I'm going to take him up to my room and-"

  
"Stop! I don't want to hear those details," Jongin says, and Sehun smacks him again.

  
"Shut up, you fucktard, I'm going to confess," Sehun says defensively, and Jongin smiles. "Then, if it goes well, I'm going to kiss him."

  
Jongin gives him a pat on the shoulder and grins for him. "Good luck, man," he says, and Sehun smiles.

  
"Thanks." He's quiet for a second, looking at his hands, before he snaps his head back up to look at Jongin. "Hey, what about Kyungsoo? You should ask him out. I think he likes you."

  
Jongin almost chokes on his tongue. "You think so?" he asks, and he has no clue why he considers Sehun an expert on this type of thing but he does.

  
"Totally. I can read people. He digs you. Wants you to dig him, if you know what I mean?" He raises his eyebrows and wiggles them, and Jongin deadpans.

  
"I really don't," he says, and Sehun sinks.

  
"Yeah, that joke didn't really work like I wanted it to," he says. "But you should ask him to come to the party, anyway."

  
"I can't. I can barely even talk to him," Jongin says, and he feels like deflating. He puts his forehead on the counter instead, and almost gets poked in the eye by a stick of abandoned celery.  It's Sehun's turn to roll his eyes and laugh now.

  
"Then text him or something. Save the awkward, spontaneous conversation for the party."

  
Jongin stops and thinks about that, and he realizes that Sehun really just solved his problem. He looks up and says, "Dude, you're a genius." Sehun shrugs. Jongin pulls out his phone.

  
"Do you have his number?" Sehun asks, and Jongin stops.

  
"Do you?" he asks, hopefully, and Sehun looks at him like he's crazy. Normally, Jongin isn't this stupid. Normally, that's Sehun's job.

  
"Why would I have  _your_  desk mate's number? I'm not the one who wants to touch his dick." He says it rather loudly, and his mother's typing stops completely. Sehun cups his mouth and widens his eyes, and Jongin face palms when he hears her office door open.

  
"Shit. She heard us," Sehun says, and they can hear the sound of her feet padding down the hallway. A second later, her head is poking around the corner and she stares into the kitchen from the door.

  
"You boys talking about penises?" she asks casually, and Sehun groans. Jongin tries not to laugh.

  
There is no point in pretending. Sehun's shoulders fall in defeat. "Yeah, Mom. We are."

  
"Luhan's?" she asks, and Sehun spins to look at her and yells, "Mom!" Jongin cracks up and Sehun's mother smiles.

  
"Well, whose then?" She walks the rest of the way into the kitchen and approaches the counter. Jongin always thinks her prying is funny, although embarrassing when directed at him instead of Sehun. She picks up some celery and looks at her son and his friend expectantly.

  
"No one's, Mom," Sehun says, and she narrows her eyes.

  
"Oh come on. I won't tell." She takes a bite of the celery and props her chin on her hand.

  
"Mom, you are so embarrassing," Sehun says, but he tells her anyway. "Just this guy Jongin likes."

  
Jongin feels his face heat up. "Sehun!" he says, but Sehun just looks at him and shrugs. "It's not like she won't find out anyway," he says, and Jongin figures it's true.

  
"So what's his name?" she asks, turned to Jongin, and Jongin sighs.

  
"Kyungsoo. He's our classmate," he says, and Sehun's mother smiles. Jongin can't talk to his mom like this.

  
"Are you going to ask him to the party?" she inquires, and both Jongin and Sehun freeze. Sehun's eyes widen and they look at each other.

  
"What do you mean, Mom?" Sehun asks, and he sounds so nervous. His mother cackles.

  
"What? You think I can't hear you guys from my office?" She's laughing, and Sehun sinks into his hands and pulls his hair. She takes a few deep, heaving breaths before clearing her throat and looking very seriously at Sehun. "Sorry, continue," she says, and Sehun looks dumbstruck.

  
"Wait? Can I still have the party?" he asks, and his mother shrugs.

  
"I dunno. Can you?"

  
Sehun tries his luck. "Yes?" he answers, and she shrugs again.

  
"Do what you want, Sehun. I can't stop you if I'm not here," she says, and Sehun and Jongin just stare at her like she's got nine heads and a third arm. She grabs another celery stick as she turns to leave the kitchen, then stops at the door to look back at her son. "Just don't tell your father. And if this house does not look  _exactly_  like it should when I get back, you're dead meat. You too, Jongin." She points at the two of them and gestures towards her eyes and back, as if to say,  _I'm watching you two._

  
Sehun nods, his eyes wide, and his mother smiles. She leaves the room, and there is a dead silence as Sehun stares at the door. Jongin goes to say something, but then they hear her feet coming back down the hallway like she's running, and she pops her head into the kitchen one last time.

  
"Tell Luhan I say hello. And don't forget to use a condom."

  
Then she ducks out of the kitchen, leaving Sehun to look mortified and Jongin to laugh his ass off.

\---

  
So it turns out, to get someone's number, all you have to do is ask them. And Jongin does that. Somehow. They're doing their English work in class, and Jongin just pulls out his phone and asks, and Kyungsoo smiles real big and just gives it to him. Easy as that.

  
Who would have thought?

  
So Jongin and Sehun settle on Sehun's bed like a couple of girls, and he texts Kyungsoo. Sehun snickers and Jongin elbows him in the ribs. It ends up just tickling him, and he yelps obnoxiously in Jongin's ear.

  
**To: Kyungsoo**

**Hey. Did you hear Sehun is throwing a party this weekend for Halloween?**

  
He takes a deep breath and hits the send button. Sehun laughs.

  
"That's it? No 'Hey Kyungsoo, how's it going'. Just right to the point?"

  
Jongin's eyes widen and he wishes he could hit a back button or something. But he can't. Kyungsoo is probably already reading it.

  
"Shut up, Sehun. Let me work my charm," he says, and Sehun scoffs.

  
"Please," he says. "What charm?"

  
Jongin wants to smack him. "Kissed Luhan yet?" he asks, and Sehun sputters.

  
"N-no. But I can, if I want to."

  
"So you don't want to?"

  
"I-I didn't say that."

  
Jongin's phone buzzes and he practically jumps out of his own skin. His hands are shaking as he clicks on his phone's  _View Text_  option.

  
**From: Kyungsoo**

**Yeah, a couple kids were talking about going at choir practice today. Why?**

  
"Why?" Jongin blurts, and he doesn't know what to say.

  
"He wants you to ask him out. Do it," Sehun is saying to his right, and Jongin panics a little and replies.

  
**To: Kyungsoo**

**I was wondering if you are going. Are you?**

  
He sends the text, and Sehun resumes their conversation. Jongin's heart is still beating too fast.

  
"I could totally kiss Luhan," he's saying, and Jongin rolls his eyes.

  
"I don't think you have the balls," he says, and Sehun glares at him.

  
"I do have the balls. Balls of steel."

  
"You should see a doctor about that," Jongin teases, and Sehun sits up.

  
"I can kiss Luhan." He looks at Jongin, and Jongin feels a challenge coming on. He gets an idea.

  
"What are you dressing up as? For the party." He asks it abruptly, and Sehun knits his eyebrows.

  
"A sexy knight," he says, and Jongin laughs out loud. "Why?"

  
"No reason." His phone buzzes. "Hold up."

  
**From: Kyungsoo**

**I was thinking about it. Are you going?**

  
"He says he's thinking about going and wants to know if I am," Jongin informs his pouting best friend.

  
"Tell him you are. Be all, 'yeah of course. You should come and keep me company.'"

  
Jongin rolls his eyes, but types it anyway.

  
**To: Kyungsoo**

**Yeah, of course. You should come and keep me company haha**

  
He adds the haha so it doesn't sound creepy. Sehun makes it sound creepy.

  
"Either way," Sehun keeps on. "I can kiss Luhan whenever I want. I'm just biding my time."

  
"I'll bet you can't do it tomorrow after school," he says, and Sehun's eyes widen for a second before he swallows and puts his nose in the air.

  
"I'll bet I can," he says.

  
"Then do it. I dare you."

  
Sehun contemplates it, eying his friend closely. "And what if I don't?"

  
Jongin smirks, and he feels so evil. "You can't wear your sexy knight costume. You have to be a..." he thinks for a moment. "A fairy."

  
Sehun's jaw drops. "A fairy?" he whines.

  
"A fairy princess," Jongin dares, and Sehun squints his eyes and accepts the challenge.

  
"Fine. You're on, Shitface. What did Kyungsoo say?"

  
Jongin's phone buzzes as Sehun asks, and he reads the text out to him.

  
**From: Kyungsoo**

**Maybe I'll see you there then.**

\---

  
Sehun fails. Miserably. Jongin gets a text from him around seven p.m. that reads:

  
**I ALMOST DID IT BUT FELL ON MY FACE AND NOW IM AT THE EMERGENCY ROOM WITH A BROKEN NOSE OMFG JONGIN WHAT DO I DO!!!!?!??!?!?!?**

  
Jongin texts him back immediately.

  
**To: Bottom Bitch**

**Buy a fairy costume, I guess.**

\---

  
Jongin gets to Sehun's house early to help him set up, and his parents are pulling out of the driveway when he does. He waves to them, and Mrs. Oh gives him a smile and a thumbs up that makes him blush, earning an odd look from Sehun's father as they drive away. Sehun hurries him inside and shuts the door, and Jongin reaches out to touch Sehun's face. He dodges him and speaks in a stuffy voice.

  
"Don't touch it, you asshole. This is your fault," he says, and Jongin feels bad.

  
"Sorry, man. But I didn't think you'd manage to break your nose."

  
Sehun shrugs and they walk up the stairs to Sehun's room, where there are about 30 bags of chips on the floor and a few bottles of ginger ale.

  
"Ginger ale?" Jongin asks, and Sehun waves his hand.

  
"Luhan and Minseok said they were going to round up Jongdae and buy some booze," he says, and Jongin nods. He sees a pair of wings in the corner beside a grocery bag. There is a suspicious amount of pinks fabric sticking out the top.

  
"Is this your costume?" Jongin asks, and Sehun yelps.

  
"Don't look yet, please. Just let me have my dignity for a little while longer, and then you can make fun of me when I put it on, okay?"

  
Jongin guesses he can deal with that. It's only fair, seeing as Sehun has a broken nose. He feels a pang of guilt. "Listen, I'm really sorry about your nose. It must really hurt." He drops his bag by Sehun's desk and leans against the chair. Sehun waves him off again.

  
"Don't worry about it, man. Besides, Luhan totally thinks it's his fault and feels really awful. He won't stop touching me and asking me if I need anything. It's awesome." He leans back on his hands and smiles, and Jongin feels better. At least Sehun got something good out of this.

  
"That could really work to your advantage, Sehun," he says, and Sehun nods slowly, smirking.

  
"I know. When I get him alone and he asks me if I need anything, I'm going to look at him right in the eyes and say 'You,'" Sehun explains, and he nods his head like it is the best plan ever. Jongin laughs.

  
"That's so cheesy."

  
"It's brilliant."

  
"No. It's totally dumb. That's why it'll work," Jongin says, and Sehun smiles.

  
"Yeah, I hope so."

\---

  
The turnout is amazing. Somehow, in three days, word gets around pretty much their whole school that Sehun is having a party. So pretty much everyone shows up, and Jongin gets kind of nervous because he's afraid the cops will show up. It's Halloween. They're expecting this kind of thing. But they don't, and thankfully all of the little children trick or treating stay away from their block.

  
Kyungsoo is nowhere to be seen.

  
"Hey, Jongin!" He spins around and is met with a face full of Sehun's hand.

  
"Fuck! Don't smear my makeup!" he yells, and Sehun yells, "It's fine. Guess what?!"

  
"What?"

  
Sehun takes him by the arm and pulls him toward the kitchen. It's a little quieter in there, but the music still thumps in Jongin's head and heart and everything about this situation screams,  _Your mother will kill you if she finds out about this._

  
Jongin checks in the kitchen window to make sure his makeup is still perfect, and it is. Darkened eyes and black painted onto his cheeks to make him look skeletal and creepy. Red lips. He makes a hell of a good devil. He straightens his red horns and fixes his tail, making sure Sehun didn't rip his tight outfit. And it is tight. Black skinny jeans and black boots, and he left the undershirt out of the whole ordeal, leaving just the red vest. It only covers his shoulders and half his back, and it's a little more exposing than he's used to, and he feels just a little self conscious. But it's Halloween, so the hell with it. Pun intended.

  
Besides, Sehun has ensured him that he looks, "Totally fucking hot, man. Kyungsoo will dig it."

  
Sehun, on the other hand, looks like a sparkling beacon. His short tutu has a gaudy, metallic looking fabric sewn throughout, and he actually glimmers when he walks. His legs are exposed and suspiciously less hairy than Jongin is used to.

  
"I decided I needed to fit the role," Sehun had said when he put the thing on.

  
He acts like he hates it, but Jongin can tell he's kind of enjoying the getup by the way he struts about and plays with the pink frilly costume, and makes sure his tiara is set on his head perfectly, his sparkling purple and blue wings safe from partying teenagers.

  
They stop by the sink and Sehun is beaming. "Guess what?" he asks, and he bats his glitter covered eyelashes at Jongin. He's wearing too much eyeshadow, and there is shimmer powder dusted on his cheeks and arms.

  
"You look like a crack whore," Jongin says, and Sehun shakes his head and points to Jongdae in the living room, grinding on some guy from their math class.

  
"No, Jongdae looks like a crack whore," Sehun says, and he does. He's wearing a knotted black wig, red smeared lipstick, too much mascara, and a blue mini dress with silver high heels.

  
"What is he dressed as?" Jongin asks.

  
"A crack whore."

  
"OK. So what am I supposed to be guessing?" Jongin inquires, setting Sehun back on track of their original conversation. Sehun's eyes brighten, and he smiles as best he can with his nose all bandaged.

  
"Luhan. His costume."

  
"What about it?"

  
"He's dressed as a slutty bunny."

  
If Jongin had a drink, he would have spit it all over Sehun's face. "You're fucking kidding me," Jongin sputters, and Sehun is laughing and maybe crying a little as he nods over and over.

  
"I'm not. I'm really not. He was supposed to be a soccer player, but he lost some bet with Jongdae," he tells him, and Jongin can only guess what that bet might have been. He hopes Sehun realizes what's going on.

  
"Did Jongdae lose a bet too?" he asks, and he looks back at him in his costume, still dancing like an idiot.

  
"No, he just chose to dress like that," Sehun says, and Jongin isn't surprised. It's Jongdae, after all.

  
"So, what kind of bet do you think he lost? Luhan, I mean." Jongin nudges Sehun and hopes he picks up on the obvious.

  
"I have no clue."

  
"Really?" Jongin asks, and he looks around. Still no Kyungsoo. "You don't have any idea at all?"

  
"No. Not really."

  
"Shit, Sehun. It was probably something to do with you. Everyone knows Luhan likes you," he says, and Sehun's eyes widen and he looks at Jongin like he's just handed him a bucket full of gold.

  
"Really?"

  
"Yes. I say this all the time, Sehun. Luhan totally likes you."

  
"I know." Sehun smiles blissfully and Jongin wants to smack him.

  
"Then why do you sound so surprised?" Jongin asks, and Sehun shrugs. But then he smacks Jongin way too hard on the arm and hisses, "Here he comes omg his ass." Jongin tries not to judge him on his use of text lingo, because Luhan does have a nice ass.  He's dressed in black fish net stockings and some kind of one piece that makes him look like a stripper, a white puffy tail on the back. Nestled in his blonde hair are a pair of white bunny ears, and he looks like he's about to commit genocide by the way he's scowling and blushing. He stumbles into the kitchen, past two sophomores dressed as salt and pepper shakers who are making out like gasping fish. He's wearing high heeled boots and can't seem to walk in them.

  
He sees Sehun and wobbles over, and a few people look at him and laugh. He hides his face and grabs Sehun's arm just in time to fall. Sehun catches him with a smirk.

  
"I can't walk in these shoes," he sobs, and he sounds pitiful.

  
Jongin watches the door and observes as a few people stream in and out. Still no Kyungsoo. His heart kind of sinks to his feet and it feels like Luhan is stomping on it with his heels.

  
Sehun is saying quietly to Luhan, "You can take them off if you want." Luhan shakes his head.

  
"Not here. Too many people to walk around barefoot." Sehun smirks and Jongin can practically see his plan's check listed steps being marked off. It's working perfectly. He wonders if Luhan can tell too and is going along with it. Maybe not.

  
He leans down and whispers in Luhan's ear, and Jongin pretends he isn't listening. "Wanna go up to my room, then?" he asks, and Luhan nods. Sehun smirks and takes his hand.

  
"Later, Jongin."

  
"Later. Oh! Wait." Sehun turns back and widens his eyes, nodding his head towards Luhan and gritting his teeth. Jongin looks apologetic. "Have you seen Kyungsoo?"

  
Sehun's eyes soften, and he offers a sympathetic look. "No, man. Sorry. I'm sure he'll show up."

  
Jongin nods and watches them leave the kitchen.

\---

  
He's talking to Chanyeol and Baekhyun when he gets the text. Chanyeol is complaining that his mummy costume (toilet paper and masking tape) is falling apart, and Baekhyun is joking about fixing it with magic as he brandishes his wand at Chanyeol and giggles out, "Reparo." He's obviously the real Harry Potter. Chanyeol laughs and they end up tickling each other for some reason, but Jongin doesn't really care. He fishes his phone out of his second-skin pants and his heart does that erratic beating thing that cannot be healthy.

  
**From: Kyungsoo**

**I'm here.  Where are you? I'm in the front yard. Come find me, please.**

  
Jongin excuses himself, though he isn't heard because somewhere between Chanyeol's wardrobe malfunction, Baekhyun's failure of a mending spell, and their impromptu tickle match, they're making out against the wall and Jongin is forgotten.

  
But Kyungsoo is there. And he's there for Jongin.

  
He tries not to jump up and down and focuses on finding Kyungsoo before he gets mauled by drunk people. He pushes his way past the dancing and the drinking and the awkward sex driven maniacs (and Jongdae, who may or may not be on LSD), and reaches the open front door with his tail and horns still intact. He slips out into the cool night to find his love.

  
He passes by a few loud kids on the steps. Joonmyun, a senior from his gym class, is dressed like a plug and is asking who wants to be the socket. He looks at Jongin as he passes and smiles, and Jongin just shakes his head and hurries away to find Kyungsoo.

  
And there he is, standing under the tree in Sehun's front yard. Jongin doesn't know what he expected Kyungsoo to be wearing, but he looks so cute that he seriously loses his breath. Something about a pumpkin costume is really fitting of the way Kyungsoo is smiling at him.

  
He reaches him without tripping, which is a miracle because he's moving a little too eagerly, and to his surprise, Kyungsoo greets him with a hug. A really good hug, too, and Kyungsoo is warm. It's chilly out, and Jongin is barely even wearing a shirt.

  
"Sorry I'm so late," Kyungsoo says, and Jongin smiles. "I had to take my little sister trick or treating before I came here. Then I had to convince my Mom to let me leave."

  
"That's fine. I'm glad you came," Jongin tells him, and he really is. Because Kyungsoo looks so cute and so handsome and so perfect and for some reason he's wearing a gold crown on his dark head. "What's with the crown?"

  
Kyungsoo beams. "Oh, I'm a pumpking," he says, reaching to straighten the large decoration on his head, and that is possibly the most clever and simultaneously endearing thing Jongin has ever heard.

  
"That's the cutest," he says quietly, without really realizing, and Kyungsoo flushes.

  
"Aren't you cold?" he glances at Jongin's bare chest and arms and gets a little redder. Jongin feels his ego bloom. But yeah, he is cold.

  
"Let's go inside," he says, and in some kind of confident, ego induced, spur of the moment stupor, he reaches out and takes Kyungsoo's warm hand in his and pulls him toward the door.

\---

  
They make it inside and Kyungsoo looks instantly uncomfortable. They don't dance, because Kyungsoo says he can't and Jongin can't see it being safe when Crack Whore Jongdae and Ghost Minseok are flailing inside a circle of whooping teenagers. So Jongin holds Kyungsoo's hand extra tight and leads him upstairs, beyond the noise. He doesn't stop at Sehun's door and listen like he only kind of wants to, but he hears them talking inside and figures things are going well.

  
There are three guys standing by the bathroom, and Jongin recognizes them. Yifan, Zitao, and Yixing, and they're speaking in rapid fire Mandarin. Jongin nods at them as he passes, and Yixing politely greets Kyungsoo.

  
"Hi, Yixing. I love your costume," Kyungsoo says, and Yixing smiles. He's dressed as a French maid, ruffles and feather duster and all. Zitao is dressed as a cat, and Yifan looks like a vampire. Jongin pulls Kyungsoo past them and into the guest bedroom. He hears Zitao laugh and say something in Chinese as he closes the door.

  
Thankfully, there is no one in the room already, and Kyungsoo is watching Jongin as he shuts the door. The sound of the stereo is just a steady thump from downstairs, and Kyungsoo looks a lot more relaxed. He smiles. Jongin's mouth goes dry.

  
"It's better in here. Not so loud," he says, and he sits on the foot of the bed and pats the spot next to him. Jongin gulps and crosses the room. It's unreal, seeing Kyungsoo out of class, and sitting on a bed with him. He gets troublesome images and tries not to think at all.

  
"Sehun is a good friend of yours, right?" Kyungsoo asks, and Jongin doesn't want to talk about Sehun but he figures it is better than awkward silence.

  
"Yeah. We go way back," he says, and Kyungsoo smiles and nods. His bottom lips is in his mouth, and he's avoiding looking at Jongin altogether. It's either a good thing or a bad thing and Jongin is opting for good. "I like your costume. It's really cute," Jongin says, and Kyungsoo does look at him then. His mouth quirks up, and his lip is still in his mouth, and Jongin can actually feel himself sweating.

  
"I like yours, too," he says, and his eyes flick down to Jongin's bare chest. "It's cool. Not as lame as mine."

  
"And not half as clever. I really like your concept. Pumpking. It's cute. You're cute." He says the last part without thinking and Kyungsoo looks at him. His eyes get wide and Jongin feels his own heat rise. "I mean-I just..." he stops before he makes it worse and Kyungsoo laughs. He laughs. Wow.

  
Jongin falls out of reality for a second.

  
And he's leaning back on the bed laughing, and his crown is way too big for his head so it falls off when his back hits the mattress. Jongin watches him, leaning on one hand, and Kyungsoo has his arm over his face and he's more giggling now than anything else.

  
He takes a few deep breaths and Jongin doesn't really notice that he's staring at him until Kyungsoo moves his arm and giggles out a, "What?" and Jongin is shrugging.

  
"Nothing," he lies, and he reaches out and fixes Kyungsoo's crown back onto his head. He wants to kiss him. So bad he wants to lean down and press against him and kiss him, but he doesn't. It's probably way too early for that. Instead, he just says, "I'm really glad you made it."

  
Kyungsoo is pink in the cheeks. "Me too."

  
It's quiet for a moment, and Kyungsoo props himself up on his elbows. Jongin wants to shove him back down and mash their lips together.

  
"I-" Kyungsoo begins, and Jongin is staring at him again. His voice brings him back to reality and Jongin blinks a few times.

  
"You?" he says, and he thinks he's funny. Kyungsoo's lips twitch up at the sides and he exhales out his nose. Jongin thinks maybe he can die happy knowing Kyungsoo smiles for him. Because of him.

  
He's glad he doesn't though, because then he would never get the hear this.

  
"I really like you, Jongin."

  
Omg. Jongin turns into Sehun for a second on the inside, and then he adopts an expression similar to Kyungsoo's. His eyes get wide, and he opens his mouth a little. He can feel his heart beating its way out of his rib cage and down to his stomach, and he swallows. Breathes. Swallows.

  
"Jongin?"

  
His face breaks into his killer Jongin grin, and his eyes turn into crescents, and he thinks maybe he looks like a total dork. "That's cool," he says on impulse, and then smacks himself in the face. Literally. Kyungsoo laughs again and his heart fills with butterflies. "I mean, I really like you, too, Kyungsoo. A lot."

  
Kyungsoo does that smiley, lip bite thing that Jongin loves so much. "Really?" he asks, and Jongin nods.

  
"Yeah."

  
"That's cool."

  
Kyungsoo cackles, and Jongin gets a little more than red from the mockery, but he just pokes Kyungsoo in the arm and tells him, "Shut up," with a smile plastered on his face.

  
Kyungsoo sticks out his tongue and nudges Jongin with his shoulder. "You shut up, you sexy devi-umph." His hand smacks over his own mouth and he looks at Jongin with those owl eyes of his. "I mean...uhh...haha."

  
Jongin feels his personal thermostat crank up, and there goes that stroked ego again, and he doesn't know what chance he's playing at but he reaches out and pulls Kyungsoo's hand from his mouth. Brushes his hair off his forehead. Smiles. Doesn't let go of his hand.

  
"We're even, now," he says, and they really are because they've both said equally unintentional things about the other in the past ten minutes. Jongin figures they could stop talking any minute now.

  
Kyungsoo's breath hitches and it's like a dream come true.

  
So Jongin takes another wild card and throw it into the fire, and he leans down a little over Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo's eyes flick to his lips. Jongin inhales shakily. And then all in a rush of crazy feelings and total spontaneity, Kyungsoo sits up and presses their lips together.

  
At first, Jongin thinks it might not be happening. He's been thinking about this since the beginning of Junior year, and never did he think Kyungsoo would actually touch him. But he is, and they're kissing, and it is an actual kiss. It isn't like in dramas where their lips just touch, or when you're a little kid and you peck your crush on the cheek and then run away. Kyungsoo is mashing their mouths together lightly, and Jongin's jaw starts opening ever so slightly, and Kyungsoo's lips are really soft.

  
Jongin is kissing Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo is kissing back and wow it couldn't be any better. Not even in a fantasy. Because here, Kyungsoo is real. Really really real.

  
Jongin moves forward and Kyungsoo makes a little gasping noise, but the kiss doesn't break. So he lifts his hand and find the golden crown on Kyungsoo's head, slides it off and sets it down beside them so that he can touch Kyungsoo's hair. It smells like lavender shampoo, and when he runs his fingers through it the scent of Kyungsoo that he is so fond of surrounds him.

  
But then his lovely, timid pumpking decides to use his hands too, and they make it to Jongin's chest and slide down. Up and down and up and down, and then his fingers curl in Jongin's belt loops and pull him a little closer. So Jongin takes a chance and lets his tongue slip between Kyungsoo's parted lips, and Kyungsoo gasps again.

  
Jongin pulls back, and he can't breathe. Kyungsoo's eyes are closed tight, and he opens one to look at Jongin.

  
"Why did you stop?" he asks, and Jongin smirks. Why did he stop? He goes back in, and savors that sharp inhale that Kyungsoo takes, and goes right back to kissing him like he was before. Only this time he's leaning Kyungsoo back on the bed so they can kiss more comfortably.

  
And they do. For like, a whole amazing five minutes Jongin is lying on top of Kyungsoo with his fingers in his hair, and their lips never break pace, and Jongin feels Kyungsoo's heart beating in his chest, just like he can feel his own trying to escape. He thinks Kyungsoo can probably feel his, too, but he doesn't mind. Once again, they're even.

  
  
Kyungsoo tastes good. Like mint and electricity and warmth and Halloween candy. Jongin wonders what he tastes like on a normal day, when it isn't Halloween. He makes it a point to find out some time.

  
Their five minutes turns to six, and Jongin can't stop his hands from wandering. It's sexy the way Kyungsoo moans into his mouth and gasps and curls his fingers around Jongin's neck. His lips and chin are smeared with Jongin's red costume lipstick and one of his legs is bent so that Jongin fits right on top of him like a puzzle piece. He slides his hand underneath Kyungsoo's body and presses his fingers into the small of Kyungsoo's back. He starts to rub circles in his skin through his pumpkin costume, and Kyungsoo moans softly. Jongin responds with a similar noise, and maybe a little more tongue.

  
He feels the zipper just above where his hand is, and Kyungsoo's palms are on his chest again.

  
Maybe a few more minutes and he can pull at that zipper, maybe-

  
"Jongin! OMG JONGIN!!!"

  
The door bangs open and Kyungsoo practically throws Jongin off of him while Jongin simultaneously leaps into the air, startled and flushed. Sehun is standing in the doorway in nothing but his boxers, his pink and silver tiara still settled on his head like a proper broken-nosed princess.

  
"What the fucking hell, Sehun?" Jongin all but yells, and Luhan appears at Sehun's shoulder. His hair is a mess, and he's missing his shoes and ears, but he's otherwise still fully clothed.

  
There are a few more people in the hallway, and they are all staring into the room and at Sehun. His hysteria is obvious. Luhan glares at the people in the hallway and pushes Sehun through the door before shutting it.

  
Kyungsoo is the color of a tomato and is hiding behind Jongin in embarrassment. Jongin wishes his arousal wouldn't be so apparent and curses his tight pants.

  
Sehun looks like he's seen a ghost.

  
"Jongin, my Mom just called. She-she said my Dad thinks I'm up to something, and they're coming home to check on me right now."

  
Jongin's eyes widen. "What? Why does he think that?" His voice is raspy, and Sehun waves his arms about like a puppet on strings. Technically, he is up to something, so his father is right.

  
"I don't fucking know, Jongin! He's a total weirdo with trust issues?" He wails, and Luhan gives him a  _calm-the-fuck-down_  look.

  
"We need to get everybody out of here before your parents get home," Jongin says, and he stands up and glances at the alarm clock beside the bed. Kyungsoo looks as well. "We have, like, an hour and a half to get everything cleaned up."

  
Sehun starts making choking noises, and Jongin starts turning in circles. He's flustered, and freaking out, and all he can hear is Sehun gasping and sputtering and groaning like an injured moose. A pair of small hands grip his shoulders, and Kyungsoo is looking at him with his eyebrows scrunched in disbelief.

  
"What are you doing?" he asks, and Jongin swallows.

  
"I don't know."

  
"So let's go then," he says, and then he leans forward and plants a quick kiss on Jongin's lips, and Jongin gets all fuzzy inside for a second and his head clears. It sets him back on track, pulls him back to reality, and it's all the motivation he needs. He turns around and marches toward Sehun, where he is standing next to Luhan making the pained faces involved with thinking.

  
Lifting his hand, Jongin slaps Sehun across the cheek. Sehun blinks at him in shock for a second before he shakes his head and yells in an enthusiastic manner, "Thank you so much, man!" Then he's heading for the door, pulling Luhan behind him, and screaming.

  
"Everybody get the fuck out! My parents are on the way home!"

  
Jongin runs after him, Kyungsoo close on his tail.

\---

  
As it turns out, Yifan ends up being all the willing intimidation they need. He starts stomping down the steps, and Chanyeol turns down the music, and before anyone even has a chance to ask what is going on, Yifan screams.

  
"Cops! Get the fuck out!"

  
Everyone yelps, and chaos reigns for about three minutes before the house is vacant save the few that stay to help.

  
Jongdae is kind of drunk, but he volunteers to check all the rooms for stragglers. Chanyeol and Baekhyun go on kitchen duty with Kyungsoo, Jongin and Minseok take the front yard, and Sehun and Luhan tackle the living room. Zitao and Yixing insist on helping, too, so they scour the backyard for beer bottles and cigarette butts, while Yifan uses a shovel and buries three piles of vomit and a used condom under the rose bushes.

  
Thirty minutes is all it really takes, and Joonmyun shows up out of nowhere with his car to haul off trash. He's still dressed in his plug costume. Sehun thanks him and he drives away with a smile and a nod.

  
Most everybody leaves, and Sehun and Jongin pay them all in the form of dishing out the rest of the liquor and chips to anyone who wants it. Jongdae takes three bags of Ruffles and a bottle of cheap vodka and walks off down the street. Minseok runs after him. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are the last to leave.

  
Eventually, it is just the four of them, and they all sit in the newly cleaned living room in shock. To Jongin's surprise and delight, Kyungsoo decides to sit in his lap, between his legs, and leans his head against Jongin's chest. His mouth is still covered in smeared lipstick and his crown is sitting on his lap. Jongin builds up the courage to take his hand and twine their fingers together.

  
"I think my Dad is still going to figure it out," Sehun says out of nowhere, and they all look at him. Jongin asks why.

  
"I don't know. I mean, I'm dressed as a fairy princess, Kyungsoo is covered in Jongin's lipstick, and my Mom probably told him already because she sucks at keeping secrets."

  
Jongin nods and Kyungsoo covers his mouth and starts scrubbing with his palm. Jongin peaks over and pokes his cheek and he stops for a second. "It's costume makeup. You'll have to use soap," he says, and Kyungsoo smiles at him and goes to get up. Jongin pouts and he rolls his eyes. He holds his hand until he gets far enough that he has to let go, then he disappears into the hall bathroom to scrub off the lipstick.

  
Sehun makes a face and pretends to throw up.

  
"Fuck off, Sehun. I've found love. You've found..." He looks at Luhan and smirks. "An old guy."

  
Luhan clutches his heart. "I am not old."

  
"Luhan hyung is not old," Sehun defends.

  
"He's older than you," Jongin says, and Luhan makes a groaning noise.

  
"Let's try not pointing that out," he says, and Jongin goes to make a comeback when he hears Kyungsoo screech from the bathroom.

  
"Ew, there are chips in the toilet," he yells, and Jongin moves to go help, but Luhan stops him.

  
"I've got it," he says, and Jongin sits back down on his butt. "You stay here and high five each other or whatever you kids do."

  
"Yet you say you're not old," Jongin comments, and Luhan sticks out his tongue and walks away to aid Kyungsoo.

  
When he is fully out of sight, Jongin and Sehun high five anyway. They follow it up with an exploding fist bump and then agree that is was lame.

  
Either way, Sehun is beaming and Jongin can't stop giggling. "Dude, did your lame ass plan actually work?" Jongin asks, and Sehun stops. His face gets serious for a split second before he's laughing again, and he nods.

  
"Yes," he giggles.

  
"Did you say the-"

  
"Yeah. I did."

  
"And the 'You' thing with-"

  
"It worked."

  
The two of them high five again, and Sehun slings his arm over the back of the couch like he's the smoothest bastard alive. He didn't even get laid.

  
Jongin decides he'll let it slide, because at least Luhan got him in his underwear. That counted for something probably.

  
"So how did you and Kyungsoo end up naked in the guest room?"

  
Jongin almost has an aneurysm and Sehun cackles.

  
"We were not naked," Jongin hisses, and he thinks he hears Luhan and Kyungsoo talking in the bathroom.

  
"Yeah. I noticed. I was almost naked, though." Sehun smirks, and Jongin glares at him.

  
"I could have been naked had you not busted in," Jongin points out. Sehun shrugs and straightens his tiara in a manly, satisfied way.

  
"Either way, Jongin. I was more naked than you."

  
Jongin gets up to smack him on the head, and Sehun yelps because he's a total wimp ass anyway. Even if he was more naked than Jongin. Jongin will stand by that notion until they most likely die at the hands of Sehun's father when he figures out they threw a party.

  
Kyungsoo and Luhan emerge from the bathroom with a task well completed, and as far as Jongin knows, the chips made it safely down the toilet. So Kyungsoo takes his seat back on Jongin's lap and Luhan sits down next to Sehun.

  
For now, all they can do is wait.

  
"I was more naked than you."

  
"Fuck off, Sehun."

 

 


End file.
